Canvas dam



P. E. THOMPSON CANVAS DAM.

APPLICATION HLED JULYH. I919.

1,380,439. PatentedJune 7, 1921.

awowwilot UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL E. THOMPSON, OF TJVORLAND, 'WYOMING.

CANVAS DAM.

Application filed July 11,

T0 aZZ to from it may concern Be it known that I, PAUL E. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVor-land, in the county of lVashakie, State of lVyoming, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in Canvas Dams; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the Same.

This invention relates to an improved dam ior irrigating purposes and particularly to a type constructed of canvas particularly adapted for use in small laterals or ditches in the fields, of water over on the land to be irrigated. The invention contemplates an improved construction of canvas dam which will overcome the objections consequent upon the use 1 oi" a long strip of canvas as has been in commen use but which can only be used with .iliciency where there is a small head of water and where the means for anchoring or holding the canvas in the ditch is very ineiiicient and therefore will not permit the dividing of the water so as to deflect it in the desired course.

The invention'further contemplates an improved canvas dam having means to support it across a ditch or lateral with the supporting means resting upon the ground at the side walls thereof. The dam includes a frame serving as means for anchoring a sheet oi canvas whereby to resist the pressure of the water, while novel means are provided for ms. The anchoring means is an apron adapted to beembedded in the mud or sand of the bottom and side walls of the ditch or to have dirt packed upon it, whereby to form an efiicient seal to prevent the water from breaking through. There is also provided a gate to entirely close oil the flow oi water or to permit regulation of the quantity of water passing through depending 7 upon the requirements for properirrigation ot the land and thus the volume or" water which it is necessary to deflect into a lateral for the purpose stated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a canvas dam which is adapted to be set at anangle of 45 degrees so as to relieve the device of the pressure of the water tending to break it down and which embodies a blank section of canvas of novel Specification of Letters Patent.

for directing the flow anchoring the edge of the can- Patented June 7, 15 21.

1919. Serial No. 310,141.

gate adapted for regulating the flow of the water as previously set forth.

lVith the above objects and the others in view, as will be more fully appreciated and understood as the specification proceeds, the invention comprises certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved irigating dam in applied position;-

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof taken across the ditch or lateral;

i Fig. 3- is a rear elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved dam comprises a supporting bar 10 of suflicient length to bridge the walls of a ditch indicated at D, and from which a lateral ll extends, the bar being designed to support the dam in the ditch at a point remote from the lateral. The bar serves to support a canvas sheet 11 which is shaped according to the cross sectional outline of the ditch in order to conform to the walls thereof and permit sealing of thedam against said walls.

As illustrated, the canvas sheet is of substantially semi-circular outline and has its rectilinear edge suitably anchored to the bar 10 as by means of a securing strip 12, the canvas sheet being disposed between the bar and the strip and the strip being suit ably secured to the bar as indicated at 13 so as to resist detachment from the pressure or head. of water. The blank section of canvas is cut out as indicated at 14 to pro vide a semi-circular or other desired shape of opening, constituting means of permitting the overflow or discharge of excess water above that volume required to be deflected into the lateral for efficient irrigation of the land. The material thus cutout forms a flap 15 which constitutes part of to the flap and to the sheet 11 along the top edge of the opening so as to overlie the surrounding edge of the opening 14: ant resist the passage To facilitate this, the edge of the opening is reinforced with a binding indicated at 17 and the lower edge of the gate is provided with a hem 18 for ed by turning and stitchingthe material thereof so as to inclose a substantially ll-shaped stiffening member 19 of wire or other ble material designed to render the gate rigid and prevent it from being forced through the opening by the pressure of the water. The gate however can be opened any desired degree and held in an. osen position by suitable means such as an adjustable hook and chain connection 20 cooperatino' with the bar 10. By this means, if all or the water is not desired in the lateral, it may be allowed to overflow through the opening and continue in the ditch for irrigating other land.

As means for anchoring the canvas sheet, there is suspended from the bar a frame of an outline corresponding to the outline of the canvas sheet and shown to be of U-shape with the extremities thereof passed vertically through the bar i0 and held by anchoring; means 21. By s0 anchoringthe frame, is held rigid witn the bar and is preferably extended at an angle of about degrees in the direction from which the water flows, so to better resist the pressure thereof. Tue 'rame is reinforced by an intermediate bracing bar 22 also anchored to the bar 10 in the same manner as the extremities of the frame and connected to the extreme lower portion of the frame so as to be disposed vertically in front of the gate. li hile the bar 22 may be suitably anchored is shown in the to the f ame H, preferred embodimein, illustrated herein, as having its lower end coiled around the material of the frame as indicated at 23 so as to extend rigidly between the frame and the bar 1'0. There is also secured to the face of the canvas sheet a hem 2% formed by a strip of material folded on itself and stitched or otherwise secured to the sheet so as to house the frame therein and t iereby prevent the sheet from pulling away under the pressure of the water. if desired the sheet can be slightly gathered adjacent to the extremitiesto the frame so as to form a pocket within the frame of the canvas attached thereto. The canvas sheet is somewhat larger than the metal frame to which it is secured and its margin projects beyond of water therethrough.

the frame to constitute an apron '25. The apron is forced into the mud or sand, or a. few shovels of loose dirt or mud are thrown on to it, thereby preventing the water from escaping around the device. It is also to be understood that the device is, to be made in various sizes depending upon the cross sectional dimensions of the ditch and that instead of canvas, any desired flexible water-proof material of proper strength, may be employed, and that the device may be used at any desired point to regulate or deflect the flow of water.

il' hat is claimed is:

l. A darn for irrigating ditches comprising a l lge bar having a U-shaped frame depending therefrom and a strip of fabrlo about the frame, a fabric sheet to the strip are stitched, the sheet extending beyond the frame continuously of it below the bar and constitutsealing apron flexible at all points.

A dam for irrigating ditches comprislooped wlnch the edges of a frame including a U-sha-ped rod, a strip looped about the rod continuously and a fabric sheet to which the edges of the strip are stitched, the sheet extending be yond the frame as an apron, flexible at all portions.

A. dam for irrigating ditches comprisa U-shaped frame rod dei1 g "idge bar,

pen from the bar and deflected at its lower portion out of the vertical plane of the a brace rod connecting the inter- Jortions of the bridge bar and l a fabric sheet secured to the \1 ditches comprisa idge bar, a U-shaped frame having end portions engaged upwardly through the depending from the bar frame deflected below the bar out of the ver- Y plane of the bar,

s upper edge to the longitudinal face bar from which the frame is deflected remaining marginal porwith the frame, the sheet through its upper portion, a gate carried by the sheet between it and the frame, and means for connecting the gate to the brace when the gate is in open position, to hold it so.

in testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL E. THOMPSON.

l of tire and having its tions connected having an opening lVitnesses G. H. HAwKINs, IRENE F. LONG. j J

a fabric sheet secured 

